The Adventures of Spirou and Fantasio: Rising Tides of Moorshire Lake
by SkyDragon2996
Summary: Spirou and Fantasio are the best reporters when it comes to tackling any situation. Months after their biggest mystery, they have gone toward solo paths. However, adventure calls when they investigate a case involving missing archeologist Alexandre Dufresne. And at some point, Fantasio develops a crush on a mysterious girl who knows Dufresne. Will they solve this mystery in time?
1. Battle at Zorglub Fortress

A light rain fell hard onto the churning seas one stormy evening. The ocean's waves crashed onto the jagged surface of a spiky chunk of rock. Sitting above it was a colossal, centuries-old manor that adorned the crest of the small island. But what almost gave away the ancient ruins of the old manor was a towering electric pole with a large satellite dish rumbling and shaking, as if it were set in motion. A large purple letter "Z" was embedded on the side of satellite. As thunder rumbled in the sky, the light rain began to turn into a heavy fall.

Inside, the towering shadows from the outside lingered along the never-ending corridors of each hallway as they passed through each window. Each long corridor was another new maze throughout; one could easily get lost inside. The torches that lined the hallways blazed with light, with the exception of a few burning out. The thunder cracked, causing the walls of the manor to rumble and tremble with each new crack. However, the only things that did not fall from the walls were large black speakers and security cameras. But someone had tampered with the cameras, causing them to fall dead.

...

In the manor's foyer, Spirou stood at attention, waiting for a signal. Almost fidgeting in his bright red bellhop suit, he waited for something…just something. He and his best friend Fantasio were the world's most accomplished journalists. They could take any case when the world beckoned to them. They were there to solve a mystery. Anytime. Anywhere.

"Almost show time, buddies," Spirou called out, waving a tracking device around the manor. "It'll be here any minute." "Which will be their loss for them, and victory for us," his friend Seccotine said, preparing a large rifle. Spirou noticed the rifle in her hand and winced. "Wait…is that a rifle?" he asked. "I thought your thing was a sharp-witted mind with stellar reporting skills." "We've been asked to stop the Zorgbots from stealing those batteries," Seccotine said, pointing to a large electric box containing energy-efficient batteries, "and I'm gonna stop them using words?"

"Well," Spirou said, blushing, "it's just that…you know, reporting was your skill, and easy combat was mine." "So you're questioning my abilities as a reporter?" Seccotine asked. "Hey, no need to get all huffy," Spirou said. "It was just a suggestion."

Seccotine then noticed Fantasio standing off in the corner, looking pretty vulnerable. "Fantasio," Seccotine cried out. "What're you standing there for? Suit up with one of the Count's aero-rigs!" "It hurts," Fantasio said. "Hurts?" Seccotine questioned. Fantasio looked down at himself and shrugged. "I have a sensitive chest, you know," he mumbled.

From aside the group, Spirou's pet squirrel Spip started squeaking with laughter. "And what about you? What are you doing?" Fantasio asked the squirrel. Spip immediately stopped his fit of giggles and started squeaking angrily at Fantasio. "Hey! How is arguing about this a priority?" Spirou asked Fantasio. "Blame Spip! He's the one who keeps on mocking me all the time!" Fantasio blurted out. "Oh, sure. Okay! I get it!" Spirou said, winking his eye. "I can clearly see you winking!" Fantasio muttered.

"All right, can you guys just quit it with the bickering and focus?" Seccotine asked. "Shhh!" Spirou said, putting a finger to his lips. "Don't you shush me when I'm—" Seccotine started to say, but Spirou interrupted, crying out, "Shut it!" The three then heard a low hum coming from the left corridors. "All right guys," Spirou said. "I've got a gut feeling it's gonna come…"

At that moment, hundreds of round, spherical machines came bursting in through the foyer. They directed their attention towards the electric box containing the batteries. "Batteries have been located," one of the Zorgbots announced. "Prepare to apprehend suspects."

"All right now," Fantasio said, smiling. "Time to kick some robot junk!" Spip already knew what to do—he had already started pouncing on the machines.

...

One by one, the trio began swinging their weapons at the Zorgbots, busting them until they no longer ran. "Now this is what I call a showdown!" Fantasio exclaimed as he whacked another Zorgbot until it fell apart. Little Spip then began leaping from his resting spot and started hopping onto one Zorgbot after the next, gnawing their wires and dismantling their weapons.

"Aim for the eyes! They're vulnerable there!" Spirou yelled out as he grabbed the ash pick from a fireplace and stabbed the eye of another Zorgbot. "Incoming!" Seccotine exclaimed as a larger, powerful Zorgbot began leading the rest into more battle. "Aaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrgggggh!" Fantasio screamed, launching himself onto the lead robot. But the Zorgbot swished its arm, sending Fantasio crash landing onto the floors.

Spip got up from under Fantasio and started ranting in angry squeaks. Suddenly, an idea popped in Fantasio's head. "That's it! The Zorgbot's weapons are too thick from the outside," he said, grabbing two ash picks. "I must cut them…through the inside!" He then raised the ash picks, letting out a hearty laugh. "No no, Fantasio! Wait!" Seccotine yelled out. "FANTASIO!" But Fantasio had already launched himself…directly into the Zorgbot's head.

Spirou brushed a bit of dust, a panicked look in his eye. "What is Fantasio doing?!" he asked. "He said the wires were too thick to be cut from the outside," Seccotine said, "so he—" "But that doesn't make any sense!" Spirou said. "Duh! I tried telling him that!" Seccotine told Spirou. "Those wires are the same level of thickness on the inside as it is on the outside!" Spirou said. "I realize that!" Seccotine said.

From inside the Zorgbot, Fantasio was practically screaming as he kept trying to "cut" through the wires surrounding the droid's brain.

"Look, over there!" Spirou said, pointing to the Zorgbot. "There's a lesion on its front side. Not too big, but it'll do damage." "On it!" Seccotine replied coolly. "But Seccotine! Get it to look up!" "Woohoo!" Spirou yelled out as he kept firing at the average-sized Zorgbots below him. "Aim for the front!" Seccotine yelled. "Squeak squeak squeak!" Spip exclaimed.

"Got it!" Spirou said as he carefully aimed his rifle at the head of the robot. He then pressed on the trigger and fired. The force of the shot rang so hard that it cause Spirou to fall backwards. Spip and Seccotine watched with anticipation as the bullet headed toward the robot's head. As anticipated, the bullet hit the Zorgbot's red eye, causing it to heat up and explode.

"Haha! Nailed ya, sucker!" Spirou shouted. He then turned to Seccotine. "See? Precision. That was all we needed," he said. "So now you're questioning my abilities?" Seccotine asked. "Because, for starters, I was the one who…"

"Squeak squeak!" Spip started to squeak out.

Suddenly, the large Zorgbot began to stir. Spirou and Seccotine readied their rifles, preparing to take fire. There seemed to be grunting noises…coming from inside. Then, without warning, an ash pick burst through the head of the Zorgbot. A slab of metal was kicked open, and Spirou and Seccotine's jaws dropped. Out stepped Fantasio, his clothes semi-burned and singed, raising his arms in triumph.

"Aha! I did it! I have single-handedly vanquished the Zorgbot superior!" Fantasio exclaimed. He then paused to find Spirou, Spip, and Seccotine all looking at him, wide-eyed with confusion. "What?" Fantasio asked, dumbfounded. "You're welcome?" "You are such a freak," Seccotine muttered. "How did you think that destroying a robot from the inside out was a reasonable approach?" Spirou asked. "Hey! I thought it was cool!" Fantasio said. "It didn't even cross your mind that the robot's exterior is the same level of thickness from the inside than it is on the outside!" Seccotine told him. "Ugh, you two are imagining things," Spirou said, trying to break up their little argument.

...

"Well that's one thing I'm never erasing out of my memory," Seccotine said. "Come on, you know that was awesome, huh?" Fantasio asked. "Well, at least the batteries are unharmed," Seccotine said as Spirou approached the energy box, removing the batteries from inside. Pulling out his cell phone, Spirou dialed for the Count. "Count!" Spirou said. "Guess what? The Zorgbots have been apprehended and we've recovered the batteries. Come and pick up the package!"

"Ah, splendid! Wonderful!" the Count exclaimed over the phone. "I'll come over with the helicopter and pick you guys up." "Thanks!" Spirou said as he hung up. "We got our transportation covered!" Seccotine then stared back at the halls of the manor and back to the large satellites. She then took a look at her watch and smiled.

"And in three, two…" Seccotine counted. And sure enough, the satellites and energy box had powered down, rendering the fortress vulnerable. The security cameras fell limp as the electricity powering the cameras had died out. And soon enough, the satellites had powered down. The fortress had run out of power.

"Nooo!" A voice had cried out. "The satellites! The energy radiation, they're dead! No! Nooo!" The trio then turned around and found Zorglub rushing towards them, panicking in a tantrum-like state. "B-But how?!"

"You know very well why we shut down those satellites, Zorglub," Spirou said. "He's right," Seccotine said. "Those batteries powering the satellites were using up pure radiation energy. The entire town of Champignac was nearing a possible power outage because those Zorgbots had stolen the batteries that belonged to the electricity generators." "Yep. And now we got the batteries back!" Fantasio exclaimed, holding the batteries.

"Now we just gotta wait until the police comes and we can finally return home to put the batteries back in their place," Spirou said. "Yea, I kinda took care of that," Seccotine told him, holding up her cell phone. "You didn't," Spirou said, smiling. "I did," Seccotine smiled.

...

Zorglub was now furious. "Why, you sneaky little—!" His actions were cut off as police boats and helicopters began circling the manor. "Freeze!" A police officer shouted. "And put your hands in the air! Now!" Zorglub sighed heavily and raised his hands. Two guards then got off the barge and placed Zorglub in handcuffs. "Ha!" One sergeant laughed. "Well, if it isn't Professor Zorgnut!" "It's Zorglub!" Zorglub exclaimed angrily. "What do you make of this one?" The sergeant asked his partner. "Another nutcase, if I do say so myself," the guard said.

Zorglub stared angrily at the trio as he was taken to the police barge. "Doesn't look too good for you now, eh Zorglub?" Spirou asked as he high-fived Fantasio. Zorglub glared at him. "Arg, and I would've gotten away with it too, if it weren't for you and your pesky, meddling friends. And your dumb little squirrel too!" Zorglub was still pouting and kicking like a toddler as he was hastily delivered to the boats.

Later on, a helicopter had touched down on the manor's hangar. "Hop in!" Count Champignac said eagerly as Spirou and the others had climbed into the helicopter. "Woohoo! That was crazy!" Spirou exclaimed, laughing. "Did you see the look on his face when the security cameras got knocked out?!" Seccotine asked, laughing. "Man, that was one heck of a trip there!" Fantasio said. "Squeak squeak squeak!" Spip began squealing joyfully.

Spirou laughed as he took one more look at the box holding the electric batteries. "Well," he said, sighing. "Now we just gotta deliver these batteries back to the town, and soon enough, everyone in Champignac will be able to sleep with their lights on."

Spirou and Fantasio were the best in their line of work. As reporters, they could handle any situation better than anyone else. Even if the job was too tough, they managed to find their way out it quickly. They even thought they could still have an unbreakable bond between each other.

But it would be months that it would be too good to be true…


	2. Any day like the old days

_Several months later…_

 _..._

Fantasio now appeared before a live audience. He was seated on a cushioned chair across from a desk where Kordi de Rousseau, an enthusiastic television host, was leaning forward on, smiling. She wanted to get another scoop, or update.

"…and that was the story on how Spirou and I managed to resolve the mystery behind the electromagnetic radiation that was draining out the town's power," Fantasio concluded, sharing the most daring ending to one of his best mysteries yet. "Believe it or not, that Zorgub sure had a hard time trying to absorb all electricity via his Z-Satellite."

"Ooh, a story like that is sure to give me nothin' but the creeps!" Kordi exclaimed. "And what other new updates might ya have for us today, Mr. Fantasio?"

"Hmm, well I don't know," Fantasio remarked, "But I'm sure there's bound to be a new scoop opening up on the issue of finding any known menace to society." He gazed toward the camera, smiling. "And when I do find that scoop, I'll be the first to report on it!"

"Ah, should be interesting!" Kordi said, smirking a little. "I'd like to be the first to hear such a report on that, am I right, everyone?" She then gestured grandly to the audience, who then began to applaud amidst indistinct chatter and laughter. "Another riveting mystery, as told by our very own Fantasio!" The audience then erupted into applause. "Heh, heh," Fantasio chuckled, giving the studio audience a slight wave of joy. "Pleasure's all mine, Kordi."

"Now then, on to the real, personal, scoop," Kordi smirked. "Tell me Fantasio, how has your own life and career been for the past few months now?" "Well…funny you should ask, Kordi," Fantasio answered, feeling much more calmer this time. "You know, the real reason why I decided to go solo in my career as a reporter was because it felt like much of our adventures were the same thing every time. Arrest a menace to society? Check. Topple a charismatic dictator? Same. Neutralize mad scientists? Already been there. "

Kordi gave him a smug look. "Got a little boring, huh?" she asked. "Yea, you could say that," Fantasio answered, shrugging. "It basically became a routine for Spirou and me." "But to tell you the truth," he added, "I kinda miss those times. Sometimes I just wish I could get the gang back together. Spirou, Seccotine, the Count, and me. For another adventure."

"Aww, well if that ain't a true sob story, then I don't know what is," Kordi said. "And for that, I'd be thankful." "Thanks, Kordi," Fantasio said. "Well folks, you heard it here first!" Kordi exclaimed to the audience. "Thanks for watching, and catch more eye-popping news next time, here on the de Rousseau Show! I'm your host, Kordi de Rousseau, and I'll catch you all next week!" An eruption of applause and cheers flooded the studio as the segment ended.

…

"…'and I'll catch you all next week!'" the television blared from atop a high shelf inside a polished café. After hearing those last few words, followed by a brief applause and cheers, Spirou gazed at the image of Fantasio waving to the audience, along with Kordi van de Rousseau.

"Hmm…I miss those days too, Fanta," Spirou whispered under his breath. Helping himself to another cup of coffee, he buried his face into a newspaper, searching for new headlines. But they were all the same: "Dynamic Duo Resolves City Power Drainage!", "Zorglub Charged With Use of Electromagnetic Radiation Satellites", "Champignac's Power Outage Saved By Spirou and Fantasio!"

"Hmm, nothing new yet," Spirou sighed. "No wonder things have been so slow here." He then paused to reach for a chocolate biscuit. "And I still haven't thought of another new scoop to catch up on, not even a snippet." Meanwhile, as he was not noticing, his ever so loyal pet squirrel Spip was dangling precariously from the edge of the table to snag a biscuit or two. Losing his balance, Spip toppled off the table with a loud "SQUEAK! SQUEAK!"

"Huh?" Spirou asked, turning around. He then noticed Spip on the floor. "Spip, maybe you need a third eye on the back of your head so you don't fall off," he chuckled. Helping the pesky squirrel up, Spirou offered Spip a tiny peanut in exchange for his gratitude.

"Hey Spirou," the café owner asked as he was wiping down the counter, "anything new to report?" "Nope, sorry," Spirou replied. "Still the same. To tell you the truth, it feels kinda empty inside." "Want something to eat before we close up for the day?" the owner asked. "No, not that kind of feeling," Spirou said. "I mean that, there's nothing going on yet. I still feel like there should be bound for something to occur."

"Waiting for a new case, I see," the café owner told him. "Well, sittin' around and waiting for a new mystery isn't getting you nowhere." "It's not?" Spirou asked. "No. Jus' sitting around and waiting will get you nowhere," the owner boasted. "You gotta get your head straight. Put some effort into thinking." "You know what?" Spirou pondered, standing up. "You've made a pretty good point there. Thanks!" He then reached for his satchel and grabbed Spip by the body. "Let's go, Spip," Spirou said as he made for the exit. "Let's seek out a new scoop!"

…

Spirou was soon walking through the streets, with Spip and his bag in tow. "Good afternoon!" he called to a passing woman nearby. "Hello Spirou!" a local fruit salesman exclaimed as Spirou passed by. "Nice day today, ain't it?" "Sure is!" Spirou called out in reply. "Don't work too hard!" "Will do, sir!" the salesman replied, then went back to arranging the artichokes back on top of the oranges.

"Spirou!" a high voice called out. Spirou whirled around and smiled. "Ninon?" he asked as he saw the energetic, ponytail-wearing brunette girl eagerly running up to him. "Hi Ninon," Spirou told Ninon as they quickly exchanged hugs. "What's up?" "Just wanted to see if you were still in town," Ninon replied. "Anything new yet?" "No, not yet. Months have gone by and there's still no new scoop to report," Spirou told Ninon. "Sometimes I feel like it's been a real drag." He then pulled out his cell phone.

"Who are you callin'?" Ninon asked curiously. "Just wanted to see if Fantasio wanted to come to lunch today," Spirou told her. "You should've seen him this morning, all frazzled and stressed. He had his big television interview with Kordi de Rousseau at twelve. Heck, he didn't even know if he had breakfast to eat!" "Well, I hope his interview turned out great," Ninon chimed in. "Because goodness knows what sorts of crazy stuff run around in Fantasio's head."

…

"Aaaaaand…we're clear! That's a wrap, everybody!"

"Yes! Finally!" Fantasio exclaimed, rising from his seat. "Yes, great show, everybody!" a crew member exclaimed. "Another day, another excellent show we've put on today," Kordi said. "And I owe it all to you, Mr. Fantasio." "Hmm?" Fantasio asked. "Oh, right. Thanks." "Great performance out there, Fantasio," a set producer told him, handing him a glass of water. "The audience was practically eating up every moment of it." "Just doing my job here, sir," Fantasio replied. His gaze then shifted toward a table that held fruits, sliced carrots, bagels, muffins, chocolate candies, and bottled water. "Umm…can you excuse me a minute?" Fantasio asked. Then, he quickly slipped away.

At last, Fantasio was able to reach the craft service table. And before he had the chance to snack on a muffin, his cell phone vibrated in his pocket. Pulling it out, he answered it, asking, "Hello?"

"You doing all right there, bub?" a voice answered. "Spirou?" Fantasio asked. "Hi! Anything new to report?" "Nope, still the same here. Nothing new has turned up," Spirou said. "And you? How'd the interview go? Was it great?" "Was it great? I killed it out there!" Fantasio said. "The audience was practically eating up every word of it! Even Kordi herself was absorbing it all up!" "That's great! I'm glad your interview went great!" Spirou said. "Speaking of which, me and Ninon were just heading downtown to eat. Want to come?"

"Of course. Sure, I'll come!" Fantasio replied. "I know you skipped out on your breakfast, so I decided to treat you to lunch, especially since you had such a sucessful interview," Spirou told him. "How'd you know?" Fantasio asked. "I just guessed," Spirou replied. "Well, you were right on that," Fantasio said. "Turns out it's pretty nerve-wracking to sit through a televised interview on an empty stomach." "Ah," Spirou had told him. "Well, I'll leave you to come now. Bye!" Spirou said, then he quickly hung up the phone.

As soon as the phone had clicked off, Fantasio grinned. "That Spirou, always wanting to treat me," he muttered. "I oughta give him props for that. He's such a great guy." Fantasio bent over a bit, feeling his stomach pinch. "Really regret skipping breakfast this morning," he mumbled as he exited the film studio.

…

"Fantasio! Over here!"

"Ah, hey! Hey, Spirou!"

Spirou waved Fantasio over as he was heading toward a small restaurant at the corner downtown. "Hi Fantasio!" Ninon exclaimed, waving her hand. "Ninon! Funny seeing you here," Fantasio said, sitting down. "Hey, Spirou. Why is there an extra chair? I thought we agreed it'd be just us." "Yea, about that," Spirou fumbled around, "actually, um…"

"Hello Spirou!" a voice called out. Fantasio turned around and shot off a smug grin. "Just what we needed for our lovely lunch date together!" Fantasio smirked. "Seccotine!" Spirou said, waving to their somewhat prim blond-haired friend. "Good thing you showed up!" "Hey, I didn't want to miss out, all right?" Seccotine had told Spirou as she sat beside Ninon.

A waiter came up to Spirou and asked him, "What'll it be today?" "Hmm, let's see. I'll have a ham and cheese sandwich, no mustard," Spirou said. "Ninon here will have the macaroni pasta with broccoli…" "Oh! Get me a spaghetti Bolognese!" Seccotine said. "Yes, and a spaghetti Bolognese for her," Spirou said. "And my friend Fantasio here will have the regular; he'll have chicken with lettuce and grilled potato slices." "Anything to drink?" the waiter asked. "We'll all take lemon-lime sodas," Spirou said.

As the waiter had left, the talk turned to the friends. "So Fantasio, tell us all about it!" Seccotine said. "I'm eager to hear how your interview turned out!" "It was actually great!" Fantasio said. "The audience loved every bit of it!" "And to this day, I still can't believe you actually scored an interview with the famed television host Kordi de Rousseau," Seccotine said. "She's probably the most sought-after television host for reporters!" "Yea, she's a big name in the reporting business. Give her an inch, and she'll swim all over you," Spirou said.

A few minutes later, the friends were now enjoying their meals. "And Seccotine, what's new with you?" Spirou asked as he dug into his sandwich. "Oh nothing," Seccotine answered. "A little this, little that. We're already on the hot trail of a new story." "Really?" Fantasio asked. "Yep, this mid-evening, we're deliberating on a story involving renown archeological scientist Alexandre Dufresne." Fantasio nearly spit out his drink. "You don't mean THE Alexandre Dufresne?!" he exclaimed. "I've heard he's the youngest person to ever unearth the remains of the tomb of Ahemnhotep!" "So, he's a thing now, this Alexandre Dufresne?" Spirou asked. "Yes," Seccotine said. "Now, he's important and crucial to my developing story because he…"

As Fantasio listened, he suddenly paused, for he heard the soft, sweet sound of piano music. He then began to drift away from the conversation as he heard the melody singing to him. "…and he's the reason why Dufresne is the latest subject in our developing story airing tonight," Seccotine told Spirou. "That's great!" Spirou said. "Looks like we're hot on the trail, am I right, Fantasio? Fantasio…?"

Fantasio was now grinning with intrigue as he heard the song grow louder in tone. Now the notes were stronger and majestic with each new beat. Fantasio then could not help but open his mouth and start humming the notes, eventually becoming more in sync to the tune's rhythm. It was such a sweet melody. That tune alone was probably the best thing that Fantasio had ever heard before in his life.

Spirou snapped his fingers. "I'm awake!" Fantasio exclaimed. "You say anything?" "What happened there?" Spirou asked. "You sort of fell asleep back there." "Sorry," Fantasio said. "I was just thinking about this song I was hearing on the radio…Really nice tune, if I say so."

"Unbelievable," Seccotine muttered. "I was here just now, talking about the biggest scoop in my lifetime as a reporter, and you lose focus. I thought reporters like you had to stay focused on big topics?" "Watch your mouth!" Fantasio said, pointing his finger.

"Hey hey, there's no need to bash anyone," Spirou said. Some few minutes later, the waiter appeared with the receipt. "Your bill, sir," the waiter told Spirou. "Okay, now who's paying?" Seccotine first looked at Fantasio, then Fantasio looked at Spirou. "Okay, fine. Fantasio, pitch in a few bucks." "Easy to please," Fantasio said as he dug out a handful of dollars and handed them over to Spirou. "You are such a nerd," Spirou told Fantaso as he began counting the amount due.

...

From afar, while the friends were busy paying off the tab, a mysterious man wearing a long black coat and sunglasses stared at the friends. He then pulled out a walkie talkie. "Black shark, come in Black shark," he spoke into the receiver. "No activity so far. All is going well. The subjects should be apprehended in no time." "Excellent, Agent Ramses," a voice said over the receiver. "Now we proceed, according to plan. Make sure you don't lose them."

…

Some few hours later, Spirou and Fantasio were heading back home when they decided to stop by the Count's stately country home for a visit. "You still think the Count is available for just a short spell?" Fantasio asked. "I'm sure he'd want to see us for a change," Spirou told him. "After all, I just want to get the fame of that last story out of my head." "Squeak squeak squeak?" Spip looked at Spirou questioningly. "Don't worry, Spip. We can go home soon," Spirou said.

"Ah, Spirou! Fantasio! What a nice surprise," the Count said as Spirou and Fantasio entered from the garage and into his laboratory. "And what brings you two here?" "We just wanted to stop by and see how you were doing," Spirou said. "Can you believe people are still talking about our last story?" Fantasio asked. "Oh yes, you also talked about it in that talk show this afternoon, with that Kordi lady, is it?" The Count asked. "Yep, I was so nervous during that," Fantasio said. "Yea, he even missed his breakfast this morning," Spirou said, eyeing the test tubes on the desk.

"And what have you been doing lately?" Spirou asked. "Ah, I was figuring out a new formula that works as a healing solvent. But I'm still short on a few ingredients," the Count had said. "What's this healing solvent for?" Fantasio asked. "Ah. It's for treating infections on trees, but with a few more ingredients, it can easily benefit humans as well," the Count said, smiling. "No kidding," Spirou said, lifting the test tube and admiring the slimy purple liquid inside of it. "Did you use mushrooms in this too?" Fantasio asked. "Because I think that's what's missing." "You know what, Fantasio? You're absolutely right!" The Count told him. "I may just need a few more mushrooms to complete the formula."

Fantasio's cell phone began to ring. "Who's calling?" Spirou asked. Fantasio pulled out his phone and sighed in disgust. "Ugh, it's my cousin again," he grumbled. "Zantafio?" Spirou asked. "Now what does that little booger want?" "He probably just wants to bug me again, but I'm not letting that happen," Fantasio replied. "Goin' to voicemail now!" He then hung up the call.

"Well Count, I wish we could stay a little longer," Spirou said, "but it's getting a little late now. I think Fantasio and I will head back home for the night. Maybe we can come back another day!" "Will do! Always a pleasure to have you come swing by!" The Count said as he waved goodbye to Spirou and Fantasio as they headed back to their car. Soon enough, they drove off, towards home.

From within the woods, another agent in a black coat was muttering incoherently in his walkie talkie. "That is very good information, Agent Blackwell," a voice answered. "Soon, our plan will fall perfectly into place. Soon, we'll have them right before they have a chance to say anythin'. Proceed as planned."

"Yes, sir."


	3. A New Mystery?

Later that night, Spirou and Fantasio had then driven back home to their apartment in town. It felt good for them to finally be back home, where they could finally be themselves for a change. Surely, their fame was going to wear down eventually. But it wasn't anything they wouldn't be interested in. But a little story shouldn't be that bigger than anything. Would it?

"Finally, we're home now. I'm beat," Fantasio said as he flopped down on the couch. "Easy for you to say. That interview must've taken a lot of energy from you," Spirou said while picking up the phone.

"What are you doing now?" Fantasio asked, plunking a magazine in front of his eyes. "You want any takeout?" Spirou asked as he dialed up a number on his phone. "I'm just ordering our dinner now." "Yea, you can do that," Fantasio said, picking up the remote. "I'll just be over here, seeing what's on right now." Fantasio then began flipping through various channels on the television as Spirou spoke over the phone.

"Yes, can I order some Chinese food to go? I can? Okay, then I'll have the usual please. Have it delivered to a Mr. Spirou. Okay. Good night."

About half an hour later, Spirou was on the couch reading, where he had already laid out several boxes of Chinese takeout on the table. "All right, the food's here! I'm starving," Fantasio said as he prepared to take his box. Spirou eyed him suspiciously. "You washed your hands?" Spirou asked. Grumbling, Fantasio darted for the kitchen and hastily wet his hands. He then went to reach for the box again, only for Spirou to stop him short.

"And you washed them with soap?" He asked. Fantasio then went to the kitchen again and lathered his hands with soap and rinsed them out. Fantasio then went for the box again, to have Spirou ask him, "And did you dry them?" "Fine!" Fantasio cried out as he rapidly waved his hands, drying them.

Fantasio then reached for the takeout box and sighed in dismay. "Hey, why'd you give me the beef and vegetable stir fry with the noodles?!" Fantasio asked. "I had to," Spirou said, slurping up a noodle. "The vegetables are good for you, and you're going to have some." "At least you didn't forget the egg rolls," Fantasio muttered, eyeing the rolls on the plate before him.

"Look Fanta, can't we just relax? And eat? While the food's still hot?" Spirou asked. "And let's see what's on the news tonight." He then pressed a button on the remote, and the channel immediately changed to the news. The two boys then found that Seccotine was now headlining the news.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen," Seccotine said in the television. "And welcome to tonight's news. I'm Seccotine, and I'll be taking over our top news." Fantasio sighed. "Well, if it isn't our nosy reporter friend," Fantasio muttered. "Sometimes I can't even bear to hear her doing her job better than we are."

"Here's our top story today," Seccotine was narrating, "involving the whereabouts that we have recently uncovered about top archeologist Alexandre Dufresne." At that moment, Fantasio sat upright, listening. "Here, I'll go change the channel," Spirou said, lifting the remote. "DON'T CHANGE IT!" Fantasio exclaimed, slapping the remote out of Spirou's hand. "Geez, you don't have to be so violent about it," Spirou grumbled.

"So far, I believe everyone had known the story of renown archeologist Alexandre Dufresne," Seccotine announced, "because he is perhaps a man of high standards. At the age of 16, he had discovered the ancient tomb of the famed Egyptian pharaoh Ahmenhotep. He also became the first person to ever discover the Canyon of Lost Souls at age 18, as well as uncover the largest digging site for unearthing dinosaurs at the age of 21. Alexandre Dufresne is also the youngest archeologist to ever obtain the Champignac Medal of Innovation and Discovery, the highest honor he has ever received for pioneering a method of mixing technology with his digging paractices."

Fantasio smiled as he munched on the carrots and broccoli smothered in teriyaki sauce. "Sounds like he could be friends with the Count," he said.

"And developing today," Seccotine said, "Alexandre Dufresne has decided to do the impossible, which people thought he could never accomplish. Dufresne had announced that he would become the first archeologist to circumnavigate the globe and discover new archeological finds, and with no assistance of a GPS!" "Wow! That's impossible!" Spirou said. "But if anyone could do it, he can!" Fantasio said.

"Dufresne has capped off the ceremony as he embarked on his life-changing journey, dedicating the event to his parents, who had helped him get to where he was that day," Seccotine then read on. "But, after five months of attempting to achieve his lifelong dream, Alexandre Dufresne has now been reported missing."

Fantasio nearly spit out his drink at the mention of Alexandre Dufresne being reported missing. "What?!" He exclaimed.

"Yes, it's true, ladies and gentlemen," Seccotine read. "What was thought to have been the greatest accomplishment in human history has now been engulfed with mystery. Dufresne has been maintaining contact with his colleagues via radio for five months, until one day, they had suddenly lost contact with him, as explained by the audio feedback we've managed to intercept here. This was recorded months after Dufresne had gone off the radar." Then, Seccotine pressed a button on a remote that displayed two feedback signals on the monitor above her.

First: static.

Then, the audio began.

"Oy Dufresne, how fare are you into this mission?" The first line had spoken. "It's still going on, Bocquelet," the second wave spoke. "I've already navigated through the Appalachians, I'm still in the Pacific, heading to South America."

"Crazy, ain't it? I can't believe you decided to go on this mission."

"I know, right? It's amazing how far we've gotten."

A brief pause for a moment of time.

Back on.

"Hey Dufresne, seems as if you've managed to check off South America and rollin' around the Atlantic. See anything yet?"

"No! I'm so far ahead, I can barely see what's next in store."

"Anyways, how are you coming along with each transmission from every part you've visited?"

"I've completed some. There are still more to come, because I've just made it into Taiwan—"

"What's the matter, Dufresne? You all right?"

"Yea. Just a little...Hey."

"What?"

"There's something above me. It's really well hidden in the clouds."

"Can you try to see it?"

"Wait a second, that's a hovercraft! What is it doing here?!"

"I don't know."

"Wait a second, now there's someone coming out of it. They're dressed in black."

"Don't move. It's always best to stay put. They can be suspicious folk."

"Bocquelet, if anything happens, tell my—" The audio was then cut off by static feedback.

"Dufresne! Dufresne! What's going on?!" More static.

"Dufresne, are you all right? Please respond! What's happening?!"

Seccotine shook her head as she paused the audio. "After that transmission, it was then declared that Alexandre Dufresne was missing after that," she said. "Bocquelet had made the voyage to Taiwan to see if there were any witnesses of the incident. Unfortunately, no one else had seen what had happened. Condolences were sent out to Alexandre's family, who were heartbroken at the news.

"And that concludes the top story for today," Seccotine said. "Now, onto the weather."

Spirou lowered the volume of the television. Only Fantasio was left in a state of shock.

"I...I can't believe it," Fantasio said, eating the last morsels of his food. "Alexandre Dufresne has gone missing? I-I knew he would've gone on some big adventures like this, but..." Fantasio looked back at the television screen again. "It's a pretty big deal now," Spirou said, switching off the television. "It isn't every day you find out someone who's been famous completely disappear from the face of the earth. It's confusing."

"You're right," Fantasio said, picking up the empty takeout boxes and proceeding to throw them away. Then suddenly, a thought hit him. "But you know what else is confusing?" He asked Spirou.

"What's that?" Spirou asked as he was washing the dishes.

"It also doesn't make sense that we don't also know what that vessel was doing in the first place," Fantasio said. "In that radio transmission, he said something about people coming out of it. He couldn't specify who they were, or for which organization they were working for. So that means that that clue alone is what's missing to the puzzle. Maybe that's why the transmission was cut off!"

"Wait, Fantasio. This isn't going to turn into one of your big mysteries, okay?" Spirou told him as he kept dipping his hands into the soap-filled pool in the sink. "We don't even know who it was that supposedly captured Alexandre, nor do we know where that craft is being headed. Maybe we should wait until the police finds out about it. Then, who knows? Maybe they'll know something about that incident."

"But," Fantasio said, "they might just have to wait as well. Maybe we can find the mystery before them!"

"Oh yea?" Spirou asked. "How do you suppose we do that?"

"I..." Fantasio started to say. But then, he paused short. This would, indeed, be a big mystery for him and Spirou.

"I don't know."

...

"Fantasio, how could you just say that?! What do you mean you don't know?"

"Okay okay, I may have been way in over my head a little. I'm just saying; if we can get a scoop on that mystery, we can just go right ahead and get with it."

"But what about evidence?"

"I'm getting to that!"

Later that night, Spirou and Fantasio had prepared to retire for the night. Spirou had already changed into his pajamas, and Fantasio was barely brushing his teeth. But the question as to how they were going with the Dufresne case was still on their minds. And now they were arguing about it before bed.

"You can't just say you don't know what you're going to do in regards to solving this mystery," Spirou said as he laid on his bed. "You'd have to be prepared to know what kind of resources you need to use before you go off trying to solve it yourself." "Okay, maybe I just want to get to the mystery before Seccotine does," Fantasio said, his mouth full of soapy toothpaste.

"I'm just trying to let you think this over before you go through with it," Spirou said.

"Yes, I'm going to think this over," Fantasio said. Then, he rinsed out his mouth.

As Fantasio went to the bedroom, he clambered on to his bed. "So run that by me again," Fantasio said. "Tell me again how we're going to do this."

"Like I said before, we need to think this over before we just take off, trying to find out where it was that that vessel was taking Dufresne," Spirou said. "We'll need to find the sources necessary to find all the pieces of the puzzle so we can piece them together and find the clues to..."

Spirou paused, for he saw Fantasio sleeping. He shook his head.

"My gosh, Fantasio," Spirou said. "You're impossible." He then switched off the bedside lamp and pulled the covers to his arms. "Fantasio," he whispered, "you really are a smart fool. A smart, hopeless fool." After he had said that, Spirou then closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.


	4. An Unlikely Meeting

Later that night, as the moon was high, the agent with the black coat, who had been spying on Spirou and Fantasio ever since they both left the Count's home in the countryside, stared at the moon above him. At that moment, he got into a sleek black car as he drove off toward the city. Placing the walkie talkie on the seat next to him, he drove away from the countryside.

Some hours later, after arriving at the city, he stopped at what looked like an old, run-down building. Parking his convertible at the front, the agent then opened the glass door halfway. He then arrived at an elevator that was still functioning. He then began to take the elevator all the way up to the fortieth floor.

After reaching Floor 40, he then walked up to a man, who wore a gray and purple jumpsuit. "Password?" The man demanded. "Black Shark," the agent said. Opening the door, the guard told him, "Good luck."

The agent then entered what looked to be some sort of office. It was dark, but it was illuminated by green and purplish white lights that gave the room a dim glow. He then approached a dark oak wooden desk. The chair was facing him from behind. "Monsieur Evermore," the agent said. "I've returned."

The chair then spun around slowly, to reveal a somewhat middle-aged man with an unruly mop of black hair, with a matching goatee. He seemed to be wearing a green and black colored jumpsuit that almost looked like a formal dress suit. But he had on long, brown boots. He carried with him a baton capped with a small green emerald jewel that was carved into a sharp arrowhead.

"Have you found anything, agent Blackwell?" Mr. Evermore asked. "Not a single thing," Blackwell had told him. "Not one."

Evermore was now furious. "I thought I told you to obtain the intel I asked for!" He exclaimed, slamming his hands on his desk. "I did not ask to be brought nothing in return for your services!" "I tried to get the information as best as I could," Blackwell said. "But some people are too quick to disappear." "Yes! I know that!" Evermore shouted, launching a pair of scissors toward the door. It then stuck to the wooden surface.

After that fit of rage, Evermore rubbed his head and sighed, exasperated. "Just tell me," he started to say," "did you find out more about our two targets?" "I did," Blackwell said, pulling out a tape recorder. "I managed to catch recordings of these two earlier this afternoon." "I see," Evermore said. "And what are their names?" "They're a couple of journalists. They call themselves Spirou and Fantasio," Blackwell said. "But it's not that you'd be interested in them whatsoever..." "I understand," Evermore said. "What is it about those two that you'd say would be intriguing to us?"

"Thought you'd might ask," Blackwell said. He then pressed a button on the recorder, and then the tape inside began to play. The two men then leaned in as they listened:

"...You don't mean THE Alexandre Dufresne?! I've heard he's the youngest person to ever unearth the remains of the tomb of Ahmenhotep!"

"So he's a thing now, this Alexandre Dufresne?"

Fast forward.

"...and he's the reason why Dufresne is the latest subject in our developing story airing tonight."

"That's great! Looks like we're hot on the trail, am I right, Fantasio? Fantasio?"

Click.

"So, these two boys, Spirou and Fantasio," Evermore said. "Somehow they know a thing or two about that Dufresne fellow. Because they heard it well on the news. "This is it," Blackwell had said. "That means they've got some new intel on that man. The one unearthing the Egyptian remains."

"Dufresne?" Evermore's head pricked up at the mention of Dufresne.

"Pretty much," Blackwell said. "Apparently today, the news aired a story on Dufresne. They have no written record of where Dufresne has disappeared to." He then turned to Evermore. "You think they don't know what we know?" He asked. Evermore smiled, brushing the tip of his cane.

"Seems like our plan is going along perfectly," he sneered. "They haven't suspected a thing. At least it's a good thing they don't know. Because if they did, our cover would be blown. The whole operation could be thrown in jeopardy. And it'll ruin our image for good." "Come Blackwell," Evermore said as he gestured him toward the elevator. "Let me shed some light on the matter of this subject."

He then proceeded to walk Blackwell to the elevator. As he pushed a button, the elevator then descended toward the underground basement of the building. As the elevator doors opened, the two walked into an underground hangar and docking bay.

"Watch the beams, George!"

"Tie those rods together! We don't want them blocking the propellers!"

"All right, lower the main thrusters!"

Evermore smiled as he brushed the dust off his cane. "So...now everything is going according to plan," Blackwell told Evermore. "Soon, the expansion will be complete."

Evermore then turned to face Blackwell.

"And the girl?" Evermore asked.

Blackwell smiled. "That kid shouldn't be too hard to track. She's an easy target to follow. Just like those two boys," Blackwell said.

...

 _BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!_

"Uurgh...Fantasio, turn the alarm off."

Spirou rolled around in his bed, groaning. It was finally late in the morning. And the alarm clock had been going off, interrupting his peaceful sleep. Apparently, he had forgotten that the alarm clock had already been set. And now it was getting on his nerves this morning.

"Fantasio," Spirou mumbled in his pillow. "Fantasio, why'd you set the alarm?" Mumbling sleepily, Spirou tried to reach for the alarm clock. At that moment, Spirou's hand missed the clock and he fell from his bed. "Agh!" Spirou exclaimed as he rolled off his bed, landing on the floor. "Ugh," Spirou grumbled, rubbing his bruised back. He then looked up and noticed that Fantasio's bed had been made neatly. "Now where did he go?" He mumbled.

Spirou then got up and lazily trudged to the bathroom after pulling the plug off the alarm clock. After running the water to wash his face, he then proceeded to brush his teeth. Then, he went downstairs to make himself some breakfast. Then, he stumbled upon something that surprised him.

"Fantasio?!"

Spirou then found Fantasio sitting at the countertop island, typing away at his laptop. "Oh! Good morning, Spirou," Fantasio said. "I see you're up." "Yea, I see you are too," Spirou said, opening the refrigerator. He then took out a milk carton and began drinking straight from the carton. "What are you even doing up this early?" Spirou asked after swallowing his third drop of milk. "I've been trying to search up a lot of resources on Alexandre Dufresne," Fantasio said.

"You have?" Spirou asked after getting down a bowl and a box of cereal from the cupboard. After pouring some cereal in the bowl, he proceeded to pour the milk. "Ew, Spirou. Don't even pour milk out of the same carton you just drank out of," Fantasio said. "So? It's not the same as pouring water into your cup of coffee," Spirou said as he continued pouring the milk. "Can't believe you're grossed out by one little thing." Spirou then grabbed a spoon and sat next to Fantasio. Meanwhile, little Spip hopped up on the counter, digging into the cashew bowl.

"So, what's on you today?" Spirou asked after shoveling a spoonful of cereal into his mouth. "After seeing that news story on Dufresne's disappearance, I've been trying all morning to search for any related stories on him," Fantasio said, his eyes glued to the screen of his laptop.

"And?" Spirou asked, his mouth full of cereal.

"Came up with absolutely nothing," Fantasio said. "So, as a distraction, I decided to search up some current news stories trending now. And this came to mind." Fantasio then clicked on an article titled "High Concentrations of Magnetized Energy Thought to have Stayed Hidden in Remote Forest Uncovered; Source of Energy Unknown".

"So you just clicked on this article?" Spirou asked. "How is that any close to Dufresne going missing?" "Look at the date they released this story," Fantasio said. "It's dated an entire month AFTER Dufresne was reported missing!" "Still, that isn't any close to actually being related to this mystery!" Spirou said. "Are you sure you're finding the right sources?"

"I'm getting to that!" Fantasio said as he began typing away at his computer. Spirou shrugged as he got up to put away his empty plate. "Well, I hope you're not planning on staying on that laptop for long," he said.

"I know, I know. I'll take a break later on," Fantasio said.

...

Later on that afternoon, after getting dressed and combing his hair, Spirou decided to pay a visit to the Count up in the countryside. After grabbing his coat, Spirou proceeded to walk out the door.

"You sure you don't want to come?" Spirou asked Fantasio. "I'm too preoccupied with this new mystery on our hands," Fantasio said. "Now I can't even stop thinking about it, because if I leave it, it's gonna be gone too soon."

Spirou wanted to protest; but then again, there wouldn't be a problem with Fantasio trying to figure out the disappearance. Maybe he should just go with it and try to track it.

"Okay," Spirou said, giving Fantasio a pat on the back. "Don't stay inside too long. Be sure to go out in the town when you decide to stop." "Okay Spirou," Fantasio told him. As Spirou left the apartment. Fantasio closed the door behind him.

Spirou, along with Spip, had gotten into the car at the downstairs lot exiting the apartments. He then started the car and drove away from the apartment buildings. Driving past the various shops, libraries, and living complexes, Spirou sniffed a bit and drove out of the town.

He was due to visit the countryside anytime soon.

As the car sped past trees and large acres of farmland, Spirou then reached the Count's countryside estate. "Come on now, Spip," Spirou said. "Time to get out now." Spip then hopped from the dashboard of the car and leapt onto Spirou's shoulder. As he approached the house, he heard an explosion. "Oh, confound it!" a voice cried out.

Spirou then rushed inside the nearby stable and found the Count, all covered in a strange blue fluid. The fluid had spread everywhere, on his notes, test tubes, and books. "Are you okay, Count?" Spirou asked. "Yes, yes. I'm fine," the Count told him. "But somehow, I feel that I'm missing another ingredient in my formula." "Formula for what?" Spirou asked. "I'm delevoing a new serum to rejuvenate plants," the Count said. "But for some reason, it's missing another ingredient." "Could it be missing a few more mushrooms, I suppose?" Spirou asked. Spip, meanwhile, was prancing around the test tubes and beakers.

"No no, it's something else," the Count replied. "It's supposed to be this rare ingredient. What do the kids call it these days? Uranium...? Iron...?" "What does the element look like?" Spirou asked, grabbing a cotton swab and wiping up a bit of the blue fluid. He then put it to his nose and sniffed it. It had a strong iron smell. It didn't smell like anything he'd ever seen before.

"I think I recognize this smell," Spirou said. "It smells like...zitronimaxium." "Zitronimaxium?" the Count asked. "I don't believe such an element like that even exists." "No no, this was an element that Alexandre Dufresne discovered," Spirou said. "Dufresne?" the Count asked. "You mean that archeologist? Wasn't he that young fellow who disappeared while en route to Taiwan?" "That's the one," Spirou said. "I assume you've heard of him?"

"Yes, he was all over the news yesterday," the Count said. "He's accomplished many things in his lifetime. Such a shame that he disappeared for months now. He had such potential." "I know," Spirou said. "It's sad to hear that. And Fantasio's been wanting to get in on the case before Seccotine does." "He does?" the Count asked. "Yea, he's hoping to solve the mystery before Seccotine even has a chance to reach it before him."

Spirou then plucked Spip away from a beaker housing some poisonous mushrooms. "Speaking of which," Spirou asked, "I just hope Fantasio's doing okay in his research now..."

...

Later that afternoon, Fantasio was still trying to read up on Alexandre Dufresne while trying to search for any new stories that may have surfaced. So far, he had come up with nothing...at all.

"Nothing. No ideas," Fantasio grumbled as he kept banging his head on the counter. "Stupid, empty, brain!" He then got up. "Ugh, what am I gonna do?" Fantasio said. "I'll never be able to find the story sooner or later. Maybe because Seccotine's already on the case instead of me!"

At that moment, Fantasio's cellphone rang. Eagerly, he picked it up to answer it. "Spirou?" Fantasio asked as he answered. "I was just about to-Oh, it's you again, Zantafio. What so you want now?" As Fanatsio listened intently, he frowned. "No, I don't want to get into your little blackmail scam! You know where that gets you all the time!"

More static responses.

"Well I don't care if you're just trying to scam people from hijacking their emails! Are you trying to land me in jail just to take your place instead? Is that where you're trying to get me?"

Yet again, more static responses.

"Okay, listen to me, cousin! I am not going to take part in any more of your crazy, dumb conspiracies, okay?! I just hope you can sleep well at night, you mailfront schemer!"

With that, Fantasio immediately hung up on Zantafio. "Gosh, he never catches a break," Fantasio grumbled as he went back to his laptop. He was still trying to look up on Alexandre Dufresne. "Okay, let's see," he muttered. "'Dufresne Achieves Highest Honor in Archeology...hmm, no. 'Dufresne to Open New Science and Technology Center in Champignac...not that either. 'Dufresne Receives Astounding-'"

But before Fantasio could click on the article, a small box popped up on the screen. It read, "Sorry, but there seems to be a network error. Please reconnect your Wi-Fi settings and try again."

"Aargh!" Fantasio shouted. "Spirou, the Wi-Fi's down again! Spirou?" That was when Fantasio realized that Spirou had left. Maybe it was time for him to take a break now. A little break and some fresh air would do him good.

"Hmm. Guess I should leave this for now and go for a day out on the town," Fantasio said. He then closed his laptop and reached for his keys. Getting up, Fantasio locked the apartment door and proceeded to walk downstairs and out of the building. Getting outside, Fantasio breathed a sigh of relief. It felt good to finally go outside after being cooped up inside that apartment building. While taking a stroll through the town square, Fantasio then paused to sit down on a bench. He then pulled out his cellphone. "Wonder if Spirou ever got back to me?" he whispered.

He checked his phone. No new phone calls.

"Huh, that's weird," Fantasio said. "Not a single call from Spirou. Not even a text message—"

Fantasio paused. He then began to hear a familiar sound. It sounded like...piano music? "There's that song again!" Fantasio whispered. Now he desperately wanted to hear where the sound was coming from. The first time he heard it, he couldn't figure it out. It was magical. Getting up from his seat, Fantasio circled the town to find the source of the music.

Fantasio had no luck. Every time he reached a new place in town, the sound of the music would grow distant. He just had to find it. But where? As Fantasio kept walking, he began to hear the music grow louder. Stronger. Fantasio then paused in front of a building. The sign above him read "Madame Savignette's Academy of Performing Arts". He could still hear the music. Curious, Fantasio peeked inside.

Walking up the stairs of the building, Fantasio tried to find which room the music was coming from. As he had reached the second floor, he stopped. There were windows! Getting down to his knees, Fantasio crawled along the windows above him and tried to peek inside. There, he saw something beautiful.

Inside the room, a middle-aged woman with almond-shaped spectactles listened intently as a young woman, who looked about Spirou's age, was seated at the piano, gently hitting each key with her girl had brown hair, gathered in two braids, wore round glasses, and had on a rugged outfit. She had her eyes closed the whole time as she was playing. She never bothered to look at her sheet music; she just played as if it had come naturally. She felt free.

Fantasio peered at the girl from inside. She was so pretty...

Finally, the girl hit the last three notes on the piano. Finally opening her eyes, she turned to the woman. "How did I do this time, Mrs. Vancroft?" she asked. "I'm impressed, my dear Margot," Mrs. Vancroft said. "You managed to play each note without even losing the tempo. You have a beautiful gift for playing the piano." "Oh thank you, Mrs. Vancroft," Margot said. "But for the next lesson," Mrs. Vancroft told her, "try not to look so melancholy when playing. You have to imagine that you're up on stage. You have to smile."

"Yes, but," Margot said, "I'm just so worried about my brother." Mrs. Vancroft put a hand on Margot's shoulder. "Oh, honey," Mrs. Vancroft said. "I know how hard it must be to lose a loved one. And it's especially hard to lose someone after a rough time in your family. But I'm sure you'll be just fine. I know your brother will be just fine. He will be." "Thank you, Madame Vancroft," Margot said. "You should be hurrying on home now," Mrs. Vancroft said. "Now run along."

At that moment, Fantasio peeped up and saw the girl heading for the door! "Oh geez!" Fantasio hissed as he made a break for the stairs. "Oh geez!" He hurried down the stairs to the exit of the building. He didn't want that girl to think he was spying on her. As he hurried out the door, he waited by the front steps. At that moment, he felt in his pocket. His stomach flipped.

"Oh man, I lost my phone!" Fantasio muttered angrily. "Maybe it dropped out of my pocket when I was inside. I gotta go get it." Fantasio then darted back inside, when...

 _CRASH!_

Fantasio fell back on the sidewalk, landing on his bottom. "Ow! Oh..." Fantasio groaned, rubbing his head. He then picked his head up, and flinched back in surprise. It was the same girl who he saw playing the piano! "Miss?" Fantasio said, getting up and helping the girl up. "Miss, are you okay?" "Oh no, my glasses!" the girl exclaimed, her eyes squinting. "Dang it, I lost my glasses!"

Fantasio then looked down and noticed round glasses at his heel. He stooped down to pick them up. "Here, I got them right here," Fantasio said as he plucked the glasses on to the girl's face. "Better?" "Thanks, sir," the girl said. Fantasio still could not stop staring at the girl. She looked beautiful... "Umm, are you all right, sir?" the girl asked. "Oh! Sorry," Fantasio said. "I was just, um...I was only looking for my cellphone. Have you seen it?"

The girl then pulled out something from her pocket. "Would this be it?" the girl asked. Fantasio seized the phone from her. "Where di you find it?" Fantasio asked. "It was on the floor outside of the room I practiced in," the girl said. "And apparently, you got a new text message. From some guy named...'Spirou?' You had your phone on silent." "It was on silent?" Fantasio said. "Yea, in a sort of way," the girl said.

Fantasio then eyed the carry-on suitcase in the girl's hand. He wanted to ask what she was doing carrying that around. But he didn't want to irk her. Instead, he decided he wanted to get to know her better.

"Hmm...well. This is awkward," Fantasio mumbled. "Do you want to, um...maybe, I don't know..." Fantasio swallowed. "Doyou wanna stop by the cafe with me?" he asked the girl.

It didn't take long for the girl to answer. "Sure," she said. "Great!" Fanatsio said. "Come on then." He then took the girl's hand and walked her down the street.

...

A little while later, Fantasio had walked the girl to a nearby cafe downtown to treat her to a bit of coffee with a few pastries. But all that time spent there, he was still trying to get to know her better. But there was nothing that a little warm drink and a snack could fix.

The girl sat diligently as Fantasio headed back to their table, with his coffee and a plate of donut holes as the appetizer; he had ordered bagel sandwiches for him and the girl. The girl smiled as she sipped her coffee. "Not too shabby on your politeness, huh?" the girl asked. "You seem awfully calm for a guy who was nervous about losing their phone." "Oh, that?" Fantasio asked. "That's just mud under the rug for now." He sat down and plopped a donut hole into his mouth.

"Anyway," Fantasio said while chewing, "I didn't catch your name." "My name is Margot. Margot Dufresne." Fantasio nearly choked on his pastry; that name sounded familiar! Fantasio began to cough in hacking coughs. "Whoa sir, are you okay?" Margot asked. "Here, let me help!" Margot then approached Fantasio and wrapped her arms around his stomach. "Here, just let me...!" Margot said. Then, with Margot giving him one big thrust, Fantasio managed to cough up the mangled ball of chewed up pastry. He watched as it hit the floor with a thud.

At that moment, the waiter came by the table, with two plates in hand. "Your order, sir," he told Fantasio. "Ugh, thanks," Fantasio mumbled, rubbing his throat. He then turned back to Margot. "No problem," Margot said. "Now," Fantasio said, clearing his throat. "You said your name was Margot Dufresne...?" "Yes," Margot said. "And you are...?" "Oh, right. I-I'm Fantasio," Fantasio said, offering his hand. "Charmed," Margot said, shaking Fantasio's hand.

"I've been meaning to ask," Fantasio said as he bit into his sandwich, "you, um...you play piano, huh?" "I do," Margot said as she cut her sandwich into pieces. "Why you ask?" "I heard music coming out of the building you were playing in," Fantasio said. "I just heard some sweet music from there." Margot stared at Fantasio. "B-But I don't mean it like I was stalking you or anything! Nothing like that!" Fantasio gulped. Instead, Margot simply laughed. "Wow! You really have a way with words!" Margot laughed.

"I-I do?" Fantasio asked. "Of course!" Margot said. "Any guy who appreciates musical talent is such a noble friend," Margot told Fantasio as she dug into her sandwich. "And what about you? What do you do?" "Well, um," Fantasio said as he ate a bit of his sandwich, "I'm a journalist."

"You are?" Margot asked. "Yes, I am," Fantasio said. "I chase a lot of stories, all while going on tons of adventures." "That is so cool," Margot said. "Wish I could go on adventures like you."

"And," Fantasio said through mouthfuls of food, "and while we're on the topic...you wouldn't happen to know a Mr. Alexandre Dufresne, would you?" He sat rigid in his seat., hoping that he didn't offend her in any way. "Of course," Margot said. "I do know Dufresne. He and I go way back." "You're joking," Fantasio said. "That's great!"

For a few hours, Margot and Fantasio talked so much. They learned a lot about each other, and the laughed and enjoyed themselves. And for the first time, Fantasio felt so happy to talk to someone new.

...

A few minutes later, Fantasio walked Margot out of the cafe. They were still laughing from their chatter in the cafe.

"Thank you for that delightful conversation," Margot told Fantasio. "I didn't think I would unexpectedly meet someone so kind and honest like you." "Me neither," Fantasio said. "You really are quite the conversation starter." "Why thank you!" Margot said.

Margot and Fantasio stared at eaxh other for a moment. "Well, I better be on my way," Margot said. "Where are you going?" Fantasio asked. "I'm going to the Moustic Hotel," Margot said.

"By yourself?" Fantasio asked nervously. "Yep," Margot said. "My parents couldn't pay for my air fare to go to Camden, so they're letting me live on my own. Or, at least till my brother gets back...which I hope is soon."

Fantasio felt bad. He didn't want Margot to leave, especially if she was going to leave by herself. He especially wanted to keep track of her. "No, wait!" Fantasio told Margot. "What?" Margot said. "I-If you need a place to stay," Fantasio said, "t-there's plenty of room at my place. You could stay with me."

"And are you sure your little friend 'Spirou' would not mind me staying?" Margot asked. "Because I certainly do not want to be a rude houseguest." "He would totally be fine with you spending the night with us. No problem," Fantasio said.

Margot thought for a moment. Then she smiled. "I'd love to come and stay with you two," Margot said.

"Great! It's a deal then!" Fantasio said, taking Margot's hand. "Come on then!" Fantasio then led Margot down the street, toward his apartment. But somehow, just somehow, he would have a lot of explaining to to when Spirou came back. Lots and lots of explaining.


End file.
